Migrating from Windows Photoshop Elements to iPhoto '08

Question

I recently got a Mac and I'm looking into migrating from Windows Photoshop Elements 6.0 to iPhoto 7 ('08).
I've seached this forum, but I didn't find any detailed tips, tricks and recommendations on how to do the migration. I know about the PE (Photoshop Elements) command to write keyword information into the files (something like File->write tags to file). Someone (IIRC Barbara B.) also mentioned something about scripts to make the transition smoother, although I haven't seen any detailed information on what and where these scripts are. Basically, I'd like to hear from users who have migrated from Windows Photoshop Elements. I have thousands of pictures and prior planning can save me lots of time.
Some questions:
1. Photoshop Elements has a tagging feature, which is similar to iPhoto's keyword feature. Not sure how iPhoto will process the keywords. Do I just import the pictures into iPhoto and iPhoto will recognize the keywords? Should I create the keywords in iPhoto ahead of time prior to import (using names that exactly match Photoshop tag names) ?
2. In PE, I've assigned captions to pictures. Can iPhoto read the captions and treat them as titles or descriptions?
3. In PE, I've assigned ratings to pictures. Can iPhoto read them, or do I need to manually redo the ratings in iPhoto?
4. One PE feature that I will really miss is hierarchical tags (e.g. Family->Kid's name). (Aside: everyone, please put in a request to Apple to support this feature!!) While I would prefer a native iPhoto feature to support hierarchical tags, I saw that there are 3rd party plugins available. What's the best one in terms of features and long term support/viability? Is it Keyword Manager?
5. Any easy way to translate my PE Album definitions when migrating to iPhoto? I assume I would need to recreate them from scratch based on keywords and optionally ratings?
6. I'm afraid to ask this next question (and I'm sure this is worthy of many separate threads). I'm still grappling with the concept of Events. In my mind, an event is something "monumental", and I've used Albums in PE for these "monumenal" events. A large percentage of my pictures don't really fit into a "monumental event" categary. Instead, they are pictures that were taken in a random/candid manner. Or, I might have pictures that are truly events, but maybe only 1 or 2 pictures would fit into an event. If I started using iPhoto from the very beginning, it may be easier to deal with the concept of events. However, I already have thousands of pictures. I'm wary of importing all my pictures in one shot (rather than on a per "event" basis), since it may result in hundreds of events, which, IMO, wouldn't provide much organizational value. Anyone have any tips/philosophical opinions on how to deal with events when thousands of pictures need to be imported? Someone (T.D.?) mentioned they organize by year for older pictures. Any suggestions?
Thanks!

Answer 1

randman
Can't answer all your questions, but I'll have a go at a couple.
1. Photoshop Elements has a tagging feature, which is similar to iPhoto's keyword feature. Not sure how iPhoto will process the keywords. Do I just import the pictures into iPhoto and iPhoto will recognize the keywords? Should I create the keywords in iPhoto ahead of time prior to import (using names that exactly match Photoshop tag names) ?
If you write the tags to the file then iPhoto will recognise them as part of the IPTC data. There is no way to create tags in advance.
2. In PE, I've assigned captions to pictures. Can iPhoto read the captions and treat them as titles or descriptions?
Can Elements write these to the IPTC data? If so, iPhoto should read them. A little trial will confirm.
3. In PE, I've assigned ratings to pictures. Can iPhoto read them, or do I need to manually redo the ratings in iPhoto?
No, the IPTC data does not recognise ratings.
4. One PE feature that I will really miss is hierarchical tags (e.g. Family->Kid's name). (Aside: everyone, please put in a request to Apple to support this feature!!) While I would prefer a native iPhoto feature to support hierarchical tags, I saw that there are 3rd party plugins available. What's the best one in terms of features and long term support/viability? Is it Keyword Manager?
Keyword Manager is the way to do this.
5. Any easy way to translate my PE Album definitions when migrating to iPhoto? I assume I would need to recreate them from scratch based on keywords and optionally ratings?
What do you mean by "album definitions"?
About Events:
Don't get hung up on a word. They could have as easily called them 'trousers' and it would make almost as much sense
An 'Event' is an import that is automatically divided into folders depending on the criteria you set in the iPhoto Preferences.
Events in the iPhoto Window correspond exactly with the Folders in the Originals Folder in the iPhoto Library package file (Right click on it in the Pictures Folder -> Show Package Contents).
You can move photos between Events, you can rename Events, edit them, create them, as long as you do it via the iPhoto Window. Check out the Info Pane (wee 'i', lower left) the name and date fields are editable. Edit a Event Name using the Info Pane, the Event Folder in iPhoto Library/Originals will also have the new name.
So, really an Event is a Folder.
For my money, Events are a very limited way of organising photos. They are strictly date and time based. As time goes by I consolidate them - Spring 06, Summer 07, America 08 (I do this as we have three cameras feeding the Library).
I organise using Albums, Smart Albums and Keywords.
Albums (Smart or otherwise) are virtual entities. Unlike Events, they reference files on the HD, so a pic can be in 1,10 or 100 Albums with no extra disk space used. (To have a pic in two events requires two copies of the files.) They are infinitely flexible and offer a much richer set of possibilities.
How have you your photos organised currently? In folders? On what basis? If you can explain how that works we may be able to help you recreate this system in iPhoto.
Regards
TD